doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08449-y
Credibility: 989
#Quantum computing
What is a quantum computer and what did it do”
Google has introduced a new quantum chip called *Willow*, capable of solving, in just 5 minutes, a problem that the fastest supercomputer in the world would take 10 septillion years to solve
To give you an idea, that’s almost a quadrillion times the time the universe has existed!
This chip is a major evolution in quantum computer technology, which is very different from regular computers.
While traditional computers use bits (which can be 0 or 1), quantum computers use qubits, which can be in several states at the same time.
This makes them incredibly fast for certain types of calculations.
The biggest challenge: errors in qubits
Quantum computers have a big problem: they are very sensitive to errors.
While normal computers have a very low error rate (1 error per 1 billion billion bits), in quantum computers, 1 in every 1,000 qubits fails.
This is because qubits are unstable and can only perform calculations for a very short time.
To make quantum computers more reliable, scientists need to improve the qubits, reducing errors as the number of qubits increases.
This goal was first described in 1995 by Peter Shor, but has only now been achieved by the *Willow* chip.
How does the Willow chip work”
The secret of the *Willow* lies in the use of “logical qubits”.
These qubits are made up of a group of physical qubits that work together as a team.
So, even if one qubit fails, the others can correct the error, ensuring that the calculation continues.
Google scientists have managed to reduce errors in *Willow* by using several improvements, such as:
1. New methods of manufacturing qubits.
2. Advanced machine learning techniques to identify and correct errors.
3. Increasing the time that qubits remain stable, called “coherence time”.
Impressive results
In tests, *Willow* was used to solve super-complex problems and achieved incredible results:
– It was able to reduce errors exponentially as more qubits were added.
– It performed calculations 20 times more accurately than its predecessor, the *Sycamore* chip.
In addition, *Willow*’s coherence time reached 100 microseconds, five times longer than *Sycamore*’s.
What’s next”
Google scientists now want to create an even better logical qubit, with an error rate of just 1 in 1 million.
To do this, they will need to combine more than 1,400 physical qubits.
This is a huge challenge, as new error correction technologies will be needed to achieve this level of accuracy.
In the future, scientists hope to connect multiple logical qubits so that quantum computers can outperform supercomputers not only in tests, but also in practical applications, such as:
– Solving complex problems in chemistry and physics.
– Performing advanced simulations of quantum systems.
– Developing new technologies that could transform areas such as healthcare, energy and artificial intelligence.
The *Willow* chip is a huge step towards the future of computing and shows how science can achieve feats that previously seemed impossible!
Published in 12/12/2024 09h52
Text adapted by AI (ChatGPT/Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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